Several figures flew like meteors across rooftops, soon descending and entering a small courtyard. Shortly after, a horse-drawn carriage raced out—crude but extremely fast, quickly taking advantage of the city gates just opening to be among the first to exit the city.

The moment that carriage disappeared beyond the city gates, a cavalry squad came galloping up, shouting orders to stop all those leaving the city and immediately close the gates, forbidding entry or exit.

Halfway along, the escaped carriage left the official road and charged into snowy forests. There it was dismantled and transformed into several snow sleds commonly used by local hunters. The people inside, having already changed clothes, each took a sled and glided down snow slopes in different directions.

One sled glided toward the forest depths, passing through those trackless woods and stopping before a frozen lake.

Two people got off the sled—one very tall, the other shorter. But as the shorter one walked toward the lakeside, with each step his height increased. By the time he reached the lake’s edge, he was about as tall as his companion.

Beyond the frozen lake stood a mountain. Crossing that extremely difficult mountain and passing several more towns would bring one very close to Ruzhou.

Ahead lay the flat lake and high peaks. Sunlight passed between the two mountains, splitting the ice lake like a sword. The man shrouded in that beam of golden light had a tall, slender figure like a snow-capped mountain.

As he walked, he asked his companion, “Is the follow-up support arranged?”

Mu Si replied, “Of course.”

“During this time I wasn’t in Ruzhou, how did those several perform?”

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander naturally had no problems. The body double was also fine—I don’t think your father discovered anything.”

Murong Yi smiled slightly.

After his birth mother packaged him off to the capital, he broke free midway to assassinate the Crown Princess, but then received news about Second Brother along the way and made a detour to Haiyou. Later in Haiyou he set a trap for Second Brother while incidentally saving Father King.

Afterward, he told Father King he was responsible for covering the rear and stayed in Haiyou, but couldn’t remain there forever—later Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Eleventh Brother all had troubles in Haiyou. Though investigating these matters should be the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s job, his father wasn’t one to trust people, so he might send others to investigate besides the Guard. Therefore, afterward little Eighteenth should return to Haiyou and obediently continue being his pitiful self.

So he used a body double prepared long ago.

And the double contracted a serious illness during the “return to Liaodong”—a highly contagious disease that left him bedridden upon reaching Liaodong.

The Great King sent palace physicians to examine him more than once, all concluding he couldn’t be approached and needed long, quiet recuperation.

Because of being saved last time, Father King’s impression of him had improved considerably, but not enough to risk meeting him personally. Hearing this, he merely nodded, moved him to a separate palace outside the city for recuperation, and assigned special physicians for daily treatment.

Upon hearing he had fled the marriage and requested the Great King dissolve the engagement, Consort Baoxiang flew into a rage. She tried several times to cause him trouble but was frightened by the contagious disease and dared not step foot in the separate palace.

This was all within his calculations. Far from being disappointed by the news, he was pleased.

Only this way could he remain in Haiyou to kill brothers and pursue women, couldn’t he?

He stepped onto the ice lake.

Thinking the ice was thick enough—if Ye Ci were also here, they could play ice sledding together. Ye Ci had mentioned she could ice skate.

Imagining Ye Shiba dancing on ice, his eyes showed amusement.

When the time came, he’d ask her to change into women’s clothing…

He touched the hairpin atop his head.

That deep red lovesick wood flying bird pin—from the moment she pinned it on, he had understood.

He still remembered the joy that nearly made him fly at that moment.

Yet he suppressed it, not daring to show the slightest bit, being careful and cautious, afraid that being too startled would disturb that moment of mutual affection.

His fingers caressed the pin’s smooth lines.

The expectation in his eyes grew stronger.

The great deed was accomplished—the brothers most likely to inherit the throne were all eliminated. Liang Shiyi, forced into a corner, would certainly have to rebel prematurely. In his haste, he definitely couldn’t match Father King, a battle-hardened veteran. Moreover, he had already ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to tip off the Great King and retain Second Brother’s couple. Liang Shiyi was famous for doting on his sister—when the time came, they’d have hostages too.

When this battle started, it would not only help him eliminate Second Brother and create chaos in Liaodong giving him opportunity to rise, but wouldn’t truly destroy Liaodong.

His great enterprise was thus half complete.

Once war began, with Father King losing several sons consecutively and lacking capable generals, his “illness” should recover.

The military power that never came his turn should finally be his.

The future might be very busy.

Before then, he should make a trip to Western Rong to settle things with Eighteenth.

Afterward, he’d formally embark on the path to seizing the throne. If he didn’t explain things clearly now, he might have to part ways with Eighteenth.

He’d tell her about his difficulties—how not competing meant death. Eighteenth would understand, wouldn’t she?

When that time came, if he offered her the position of queen consort, she would agree, wouldn’t she?

A slight smile bloomed at Murong Yi’s lips.

He absolutely had to have the throne—only by obtaining it could he possibly have her.

The sled glided smoothly across the ice lake toward the sunlight. Before him lay brilliance—a wonderful future prospect.

He was heading toward that beautiful future.

Suddenly his heart gave a sharp, fine ring.

That was intuition honed by long experience with storms—an advance warning of danger.

He suddenly leaped up.

“Crack!”—the thick ice layer suddenly shattered.

Cracks rapidly expanded, splitting the entire flat lake like lightning.

Between those zigzag cracks, countless bright hook-sickle spear points suddenly emerged.

Splash! Mu Si was already pulled underwater by hook-sickle spears. Tumbling in the water while pressing down spears still trying to rise skyward, he shouted, “Go quickly—”

Murong Yi gave a long whistle. His toe pressed down with successive snapping sounds as countless spear points shattered beneath his feet. He actually flew across by stepping on the hook-sickle spears, grabbing Mu Si and preparing to leap up again.

Suddenly from under the accumulated snow at the lakeside, rows of people stood up. Snow rustled down their shoulders as rows of cold, dark firearm muzzles aimed at the two men.

Without looking, he knew the scene behind them was the same.

Gun formations front and back, and in the lake, countless hook-sickle spear points aimed skyward like countless evil fish baring sharp teeth.

More importantly, beyond the gun formation ahead, a line of people slowly emerged.

“Splash!”—the two men fell into the lake again.

The broken hook-sickle spears immediately pressed them firmly to the lake bottom.

Murong Yi closed his eyes.

So close to success, yet it failed.

But he felt no fear or regret.

Living in pain, killing with pleasure—most of those who had caused him suffering, he had eliminated.

It was worth it.

No, there was still one regret…

He suddenly opened his eyes.

The ice water chilled to the bone, but more bone-chilling was the pain of never being able to meet again in this life.

Snap snap snap—countless hook-sickle spears crossed over, weaving a net of long spears above his head, layer upon layer, so dense he could barely see sunlight.

Giving him not the slightest chance to struggle out from the lake bottom.

Above came thudding sounds—someone was stepping on the spear bridge, approaching step by steady step.

Eyes closed, Murong Yi recalled hearing earlier that when Second Brother was secretly forging weapons preparing to transport them out of Haiyou, he was also shocked and intercepted by Father King who had followed him to the outskirts.

He hadn’t expected that soon after, he would encounter the same scenario.

He should have known this old man liked playing the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waits behind.

Murong Yi sneered inwardly.

He didn’t know whether to be proud—this time Father King’s ambush formation was much larger than Second Brother’s.

The footsteps stopped overhead. Someone crouched down, peering intently through the spear gaps at Murong Yi underwater.

The hem of long, elaborately embroidered robes trailed into the water.

He stared unblinkingly. In all eighteen past years, he seemed never to have paid such attention to this person.

Watching and still unsatisfied, he even reached fingers through the gaps, ripping off his face mask with a tearing sound, then wiping away the disguise on his face.

The lake water was crystal clear as crystal, yet the man underwater had features even more translucent than crystal.

Raven-black hair flowed freely, full of radiant beauty.

The person crouching on the spear frame sighed.

Before, he had truly been blind.

Murong Yi suddenly opened his eyes and smiled at him.

With this smile, the winter ice lake seemed to bloom with snow lotuses, and even the brilliant sunlight instantly retreated somewhat.

The man watching was also stunned.

He had never noticed little Eighteenth possessed such appearance and bearing.

Taking advantage of his daze, Murong Yi suddenly reached out, grasping the royal robe’s hem trailing in the water and yanking hard.

The person crouching on the spear frame hadn’t expected him to dare act at this moment and toppled forward.

Those hook-sickle spears, fearing they might harm him, suddenly withdrew.

“Splash!”—the massive body fell into the water.

The next instant, Murong Yi’s fingers were already ice-cold against his throat.

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Murong Yi’s mind like lightning.

Hostage-taking or slaughter—merely seeking survival or a desperate last stand.

Then his fingers suddenly tightened, crushing the fragile throat beneath his grip with a crackling sound.

“Father.” Red-eyed, smiling, like a cornered beast driven to killing frenzy, he spoke low and ferociously, “Let’s die together.”

…